Meet TED - The Intellectual Mardi Gras
This is the annual TED or the Technology, Entertainment, Design conference (those in-the-know just call it "TED"). Think World Economic Forum combined with a touch of the Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital and maybe a hint of a G8 meeting for good measure. And it's all riveting, mind-blowing stuff. In previous years the event was held in Monterrey, Calif., but this year it moves south to Long Beach.
The topic of the presentations is public information and the people appearing at the lectern this year range from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to the Web's creator Tim Berners-Lee to oceanographer Sylvia Earle. But the list of attendees is strictly confidential. While I know who will be here I've agreed not to divulge the list. That's because it's hardly a typical conference that craves media attention. In fact, I'm one of only a handful of journalists allowed to cover it. Instead, the setting is meant to be informal and serendipitous without pressure to network or do interviews.
But fear not, I will be interviewing several of the presenters and reporting on what goes on. (There's a difference between presenters and attendees.) And you'll be able to find links to all the TED material (they film all the presentations and make them available for anyone to watch). What's it like? Imagine your favorite class or professor and these presentations are 10 times better than that. Really. Far better. It's hard to overstate the thought-provoking and imaginative capacity of the discussions. For a great example, click here to see doctor and researcher Hans Rosling talk about our misconceptions surrounding global human development. Sound boring? Check it out and then get back to me.
It's an enlightened and enlightening group of people who are very plugged in to where our world is headed. I expect my head to be spinning, and I hope in the next several days I can help you get to know TED a little better.